Miracles of the Season
by Ster J
Summary: Kirk and McCoy wonder why Spock attends all of the ship's parties in December.


Title: Miracles of the Season

Author: Ster Julie

Codes: K, S, Mc

Rating: G

Part 1 of 1

Summary: Kirk and McCoy wonder why Spock attends all of the ship's parties in December.

A/N: Blame this story on the sensory overload of the holiday season. Any similarities to other stories was not intentionally pilfered.

--ooOoo--

"I don't get it, Bones," Captain Kirk complained to his CMO from their cozy little corner of the Recreation Room. "The rest of the year Spock avoids every ship party like the plague, but come December he participates in all the parties and their activities."

"Did you see him wolf down the potato latkes?" McCoy noted. "I expect him to show up in Sickbay later with a tummy ache."

A roar went up from a rec room table where a lively game of dreidel was just wrapping up. The pot had grown steadily for the past hour and none other than Spock was the big winner. He took his pile of gelt and presented each of the players there with one of the chocolate coins before leaving the table.

"Who taught you to spin the dreidel upside down like that?" Ensign Rachel Taylor asked the Vulcan.

"My mother," Spock answered simply. "She learned it from her father then taught it to me, so that makes it a family tradition." The first officer raised his cup of mulled cider and toasted, "To tradition."

"Tradition!" his tablemates echoed.

McCoy gaped and Kirk shook his head.

"Has Spock been hitting the egg nog," the doctor asked, "or is he directing a revival of 'Fiddler on the Roof'?"

Kirk chuckled. "Let's see where he goes next."

The Christian chaplains had organized a craft corner where they had various kids of art supplies. Those participating were creating ornaments of a religious nature for the "Jesse Tree." There was already an apple and snake at the bottom of the tree representing Adam and Eve. Spock pulled a small item out of his pocket and gave it to Rev. Angelica Gabriél.

"This should help solve the problem with the symbol for Moses," he said as he handed it to Gabriél.

"It's so small," she asked as she examined the small device. _"¿Que es esto?"_

"Permit me," Spock said as he took the item, wrapped two small bits of dried plant matter around it and flicked a tiny switch.

_"¡Ay, Dios mio!"_ she declared as she blessed herself. "It's the burning bush!"

"It is a minature holographic projector," Spock explained. "It will not cause a fire."

_"Muy bien," _Rev. Gabriél declared. She directed Spock to a spot above the apple and snake ornament where he wired the ornament directly to the tree branch to accommodate its weight. She rewarded him with a sweet tamale.

_"Dios te benediga, Señor Spock," _Gabriél declared. Spock bowed his head in acknowledgement and went to the next station at the party.

Kirk and McCoy observed their usually taciturn friend go eagerly from section to section of the party. He would stay long enough to participate or respectfully observe the different groups' traditions then move on to the next. By the time he returned to the Captain's table, he was ladened down with gelt, a tamale, a candy cane, plump dates, a cracker, mulled cider and various other kinds of sweets and treats.

McCoy eyed Spock's "take." "I'll call Sickbay and have the night shift get your bed ready," the doctor warned. Spock replied with one cocked eyebrow as he shared his treats with his friends.

"Spock," Kirk began, "why is this party different from the rest of the parties we throw during the year?"

"I don't understand," the Vulcan replied.

"You barely show your face at the other parties," Kirk elaborated, "but come December, you are here with bells on--figuratively speaking."

"If it wasn't for the December holidays, my parents may not have gotten married when they did," Spock replied.

"Explain."

"Sarek had assumed Amanda to be Christian and surprised her when they were dating by dressing up as Santa and presented her a small gift on December 24," Spock related. "She laughed and told him she was actually Jewish, and that there had better be 7 more gifts coming over the next week with the biggest one of all coming on the last night. Needless to say, my father ended up proposing marriage to my mother far sooner than he was told was prudent. In memory of that event, my family always commemorated these Earth festivals--and a few more."

"Oh?" McCoy interjected.

Spock began counting off on his long fingers. "I used to receive a stocking on Saint Nicholas Day, a gift on each of the eight days of Hanukkah, a gift on Christmas Eve, another on Christmas Day, and still another on January 6."

"So, are you trying to tell us that you are Jewish, Spock?" the doctor asked.

"Technically yes, but I am not an observant one," Spock replied.

"No, you are just on the lookout for holidays with gifts attached to them," McCoy accused amiably.

"On the contrary, Doctor," Spock countered. "We observed these holidays because they led to the formation of our family. My parents are so deeply devoted to each other and so grateful for their marriage that they still commemorate these holidays with abandon. It has become our tradition."

"And who am I to argue with tradition?" McCoy raised his cup. "To tradition."

"Tradition!" the dreidel-playing crewmembers echoed boisterously from two tables away.

The captain chuckled to himself as he took in this new information about his best friend. "Stockings and dreidels," Kirk mused. "You grew up with them both."

"If it were not for Christmas and Hanukkah, Jim, I may not even exist," Spock declared.

Kirk smiled warmly at his friend as he raised his cup. "Well then, here's to the miracles of the season."

END


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